Thrift Treasure: Winner Spinner

By now you probably think along the same lines as our friends – that we purchase every used game we see at Goodwill or yard sales. While it may seem like it from the number of thrift treasures we feature, it is simply not the case. We typically shy away from trivia games and have lost count of the number of Scene It versions we’ve left behind.

Games have come so far over the years. We picked up a 50's-era copy of Winner Spinner to show you exactly what used to be considered fun! - SahmReviews.com

We also look for games that will photograph (or video) well, have all their pieces and of course they have to look fun. A high rating on BoardGameGeek doesn’t hurt either! But this week, just to make a point, we ignored a couple of these criteria with our purchase of Winner Spinner by Whitman Publishing.

If you collect coins, you no doubt recognize Whitman Publishing. They’ve been making coin collecting books for longer than I can recall. But they also made board games, having over 100 credited to their name. But what made us pick up this late-50’s kids’ game? I wanted to show you just how far we’ve come.

Games have come so far over the years. We picked up a 50's-era copy of Winner Spinner to show you exactly what used to be considered fun! - SahmReviews.com

In 1959, Whitman issued this final version of Winner Spinner after issuing at least two other versions earlier that decade. This is what passed for family game night 50 years ago! There isn’t much to explain, but each player took turns spinning the wheel and collecting a marble of whatever color the pointer landed on.

Games have come so far over the years. We picked up a 50's-era copy of Winner Spinner to show you exactly what used to be considered fun! - SahmReviews.com

There are a couple extra spots on the dial that forced you to lose your turn or take an extra one, but that’s all there was to it! Each player has a holding area where they placed the plastic marbles they won, and the first one to fill up their bank was declared the winner. If the spinner landed on an empty space or one in which you could not legally collect the marble because you had no place to store it, you also lost your turn.

Games have come so far over the years. We picked up a 50's-era copy of Winner Spinner to show you exactly what used to be considered fun! - SahmReviews.com

Winner Spinner was published long before “Recommended Ages” were included on games and toys, so we have to assume this is for the younger crowd. Compared to the complexity of today’s games, we can definitely see why this ended up on the shelves of our local Goodwill. And it if wasn’t for us wanting to show it to you, I’m sure it would still be there.

Games have come so far over the years. We picked up a 50's-era copy of Winner Spinner to show you exactly what used to be considered fun! - SahmReviews.com

If you’re dying to have your own copy, you can find one rather cheaply on eBay. But our recommendation is leave the nostalgia to us and use your hard-earned money on something a little newer! And a LOT better!

4 thoughts on “Thrift Treasure: Winner Spinner

  1. Although a very simplistic concept, I think this would be a great teaching tool for counting and colour recognition for young children. I so love old board games from yesteryear though!

  2. Hum–I don’t ever remember seeing this game back then–in 1959 I was 9 so maybe my parents thought I was too old for it–or maybe they just didn’t like the game? Who knows–but it actually looks like I might have liked it back then.

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